Main menu

History of the Mercedes-Benz C-class

December 15, 2013

The current Mercedes-Benz C-class may be known as a miniature version of the S-class, not just in terms of exterior design but road manners and interior amenities. The outgoing Mercedes-Benz C-class, codenamed W204, was a runaway success from the moment it debuted in 2007, inviting comparisons to cars two segments larger and gaining acclaim for its cabin and chassis. The sheer heft of the car and the over-engineered feel reminded owners as well as ourselves of the C-class of Mercedes-Benz cars of 1990s. But where did the C-class draw its roots?

The Mercedes-Benz 190E premiered in November 1982, and even though it wasn't called a C-class at the time, this chassis codenamed W201 was the first modern iteration of the C-class family. The success of the BMW 3-series did not go unnoticed by Mercedes-Benz, which at the time had the W123 sedan and wagon as the smallest cars in the lineup. The W123 was very much a midsized car by Mercedes-Benz standards, and its replacement was going to be an even larger and more luxurious automobile. A small sedan was needed to give the 3-series some competition and Mercedes spent over a billion dollars developing the W201 platform.

The 190E of the 1980s is where the modern history of Mercedes-Benz's small sedan began, even though the car was not called the C-class until the debut of the W202 in 1993. Photo by Jay Ramey

The new sedan featured crisp styling with an emphasis on horizontal lines, and with the look of a miniature Mercedes-Benz 500SEL executive sedan. The interior was a bit smaller than Benz owners were used to, though the handling was said to be among the best in that segment at the time. The model premiered as the carburetted 190, with a 1.8-liter carburetted inline-four engine making just 90-hp, and as the 122-hp 190E, which stood for Einspritzung, or fuel injection. North America received the W201 with a 2.3-liter inline-four, with the model still being badged 190E.

Available in sedan form only (wagon buyers had to wait for the larger W124 range of midsize cars which was later renamed the E-class), the W201 gained a reputation for solid handling and thrifty engines. Later years saw the debut of newer injection systems, with the horsepower output of the original 1.8-liter and 2.3-liter engines growing. Of particular note was an optional 2.3-liter 16-valve Cosworth-designed engine good for 149 hp. 1987 saw the debut of a 2.6-liter inline-four which produced an impressive 160 hp, though in its later years the 2.3-liter and 2.5-liter engines continued making appearances in improved form until the W201's replacement in 1993. The W201 was also available as a diesel using engines ranging in displacement from 2.0 liters to a turbocharged 2.5 liters.

The C43 AMG made 302-hp, quite a bit for the small sedan, though it offered an entirely different experience than the BMW M3. Photo by Jay Ramey

The W201 was still in its prime when work began on its successor, the W202, which premiered in May 1992. The exterior design was smoothed out a bit, taking cues from the W124 E-class, on sale since 1985, and the W140 S-class. The W202 C-class grew a couple inches in length and the interior received a new look that put a emphasis on luxury, though inline-four engines were still the powerplant of choice. The W202 premiered around the world with a 120-hp 1.8-liter I4 as the base engine, badged C180, though the 2.0-liter C200 and 2.2-liter C220 were also popular. The 2.3-liter and 2.6-liter V6 also made appearances in the W202 range, with the former receiving the help of a supercharger, badged as the C230 Kompressor and the C240 respectively. A station wagon version was also available, though the model was kept out of North America. The new C-class quickly gained a reputation for reliability, aided by a rock-solid interior.

Though 2.8-liter V6 and 2.8-liter inline sixes were offered in the C-class, the true performance models of the range were from AMG. The C36 AMG used a tuned version of the 2.8-liter V6, and the beast that was the C43 AMG received a 4.3-liter V8 out of the contemporary E430 sedan. The latter was good for 302-hp and a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds. The C43 AMG was also available as station wagon, and the tuning house Brabus offered its own version of the W202 sedan called the C V8, which featured a 6.0-liter V8 engine.

The W203 generation brought a hatchback bodystyle, called the SportCoupe. It offered an impressive amount of cargo room with the back seats folded down, as well as a supercharged engine just shy of 200-hp. Photo by Jay Ramey

Building on the success of the W202 sedan, the W203 C-class debuted for the 2000 model year. Styling once again imitated its larger siblings, though the fascia received a slightly controversial restyling. Most of the engines in the W203 were carried over from its predecessor, though a number of powerplants (including the 3.2-liter V6) were new. The base engine was a 1.8-liter inline-four, found in the C160 sedan, though North America again had a limited range of engines.

In addition to the station wagon bodystyle, which North America received for the first time, Mercedes-Benz debuted a three-door hatchback version of the C-class called the SportCoupe. That model arrived in the U.S. market in 2002, and throughout its short stay here offered 1.8-liter and 2.3-liter supercharged engines. The SportCoupe briefly held the distinction of being the most affordable Mercedes-Benz model available in North America, with prices starting just around $25,000. The C-class SportCoupe even managed to outlive the W203 C-class itself, being sold in other markets as the CLC-class from 2008 till 2011 after receiving the front and rear fascia of the next-generation C-class.

Mercedes-Benz took took note of popularity of performance models based on the C-class, and with AMG coming under the automaker's control, offered the C32 AMG and C55 AMG models. The former boasted a 3.2-liter V6 making 349 hp, while the latter sported a 5.4-liter V8 making 362-hp. Brabus, Carlsson, Kleemann, and Lorinser offered versions of the C-class, along with tweaked styling inside and out. The W203 continued to battle the BMW 3-series of the time for sales, but for the first time ever it also faced competition from the grown-up Audi A4 and the Lexus IS, which up until then hadn't posed a serious threat. The W203's reputation for reliability suffered a bit as Mercedes-Benz chased volume, and this manifested itself in glitchy electrics and slightly more fragile interiors.

The W204 generation brought another version from AMG, which in this case was equipped with a 6.2-liter V8. Photo by Jay Ramey

The current generation of the C-class debuted in the spring of 2007 as a 2008 model, and it sought to recapture the vault-like feel of the W202 C-class of the 1990s after the somewhat mixed legacy left by its immediate predecessor. The new C-class grew in size and weight, and featured a thoroughly reworked chassis. The base model in world markets was the C180 Kompressor, though in the U.S. it was the rear-wheel-drive C250 sedan. A wagon bodystyle was offered for virtually all foreign markets, with the exception of North America, and the SportsCoupe morphed from a three-door hatchback into a two-door hatch into a traditional sedan. Diesel models stayed out of the U.S. market, where the C300 4Matic was by far the most popular version.

The top version of the range was the absolutely rabid C63 AMG, a muscle car trapped in the body of a small sedan. With a 6.2-liter V8 underhood making more horsepower than most people should be allowed to handle without a roll cage, the C63 AMG took a somewhat different approach to performance than the BMW M3 sedan. Brabus, Carlsson, Kleemann and others have lent their tuning expertise to this version of the C-class as well.

The W204 will perhaps be best remembered for bringing the feel and the cabin of the S-class to a wider audience, to the extent that it made the contemporary E-class seem almost redundant, being so close in size and interior offerings as to make buyers wonder what they should bother buying the larger car. The tank-like feel of the chassis also returned, making it a difficult car to get into trouble with thanks to heavy, progressive controls. The chassis proved popular enough to spawn the GLK-class, a compact SUV that "replaced" the C-class wagon for North America.